The Power of Evolution
by Silver-Winged Bird
Summary: After getting lost playing Hide-and-Seek with England, Young America runs around a vast forest to search for him before the sun sets. However, he runs into someone he does not expect to find, and comes face-to-face with his older counterparts. ONE SHOT. Very very mild USUK.


Hey everyone! Just an update to let you know I'm not dead. I got writer's block trying to update Big Brother I Seek Freedom, so I wrote this instead. Took me forever, but I think I did ok. I was also drawing this as a comic, but it's much shorter than this. I really hope you guys like this!

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**The Power of Evolution**

The sun was high in the sky in the early afternoon. The leaves of the trees and petals of the flowers danced in the soft breeze blowing through them, the sunlight sparkling on the dew drop doused plants and glittering brightly with a radiant glow. The wind whistled and hummed a soft tune, adding a song to the tranquil forest around it. All was at peace, and all was quiet.

Baby America raced into the forest, the crushing sound of dried leaves and petals beneath his feet echoing in the once silent forest. With a bundle of flowers and blossoms in his hands, he searched high and low for his brother who was nowhere to be found. His sapphire blue eyes darted in different directions each time, hoping to even catch a single glimpse of his sibling's emerald eyes.

To his dismay, he had no clue where to look, or where to even start. He checked behind virtually every tree in the forest, asked insects if they had seen him, and even laid down on the flowerbed for his eyes to level with the ground to look for his familiar boots.

"Excuse me, Mr. Caterpillar?" America asked a small worm-like bug munching away at a leaf. "Have you seen my big brother England?"

"Oh, hi there, Mr. Human," the caterpillar looked up at the child with a smile. "Have you seen my apple?"

America shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I haven't seen your apple. I will look for it too."

The caterpillar shook its head. "I'm sorry, but I haven't seen your brother. I will look for it too."

America nodded with a happy expression on his face. "Thank you, Mr. Caterpillar!" And with that, he raced away back to the flower field where he had first searched for England.

The caterpillar almost waved goodbye. "Thank you, Mr. Human!"

America continued his fervent search for another few minutes, then, before his tiny legs gave way beneath him, he panted heavily and scanned the setting around him once more. He inhaled deeply and let out a loud, "England! England, are you here?"

Silence... England was not even close enough to hear him.

"Why is my big brother not here?" he asked himself, pondering in thought. He glanced around one more time before tears welled in his eyes. His head drooped a bit like a withering flower and sniffed, trying to fight the tears back. "England… Where are you? You didn't go back to your home, did you? Please answer me." He sniffed again, trying to prevent his nose from running.

Something lightly tapped on the toe of his boot, and he glanced down to find a shiny ripe apple sitting beside him. He blinked for a moment, wondering where it could have come from.

"An apple? What is an apple doing here?" he thought aloud, thinking to himself. The caterpillar was looking for an apple, he remembered. If he handed the fruit back to the bug, then he may tell him where England is at. It was a simple solution! If one got what he really wanted from the other, he shall definitely reward him with a valuable gift, yes?

It was fail proof. It's time to find the little caterpillar.

"Mr. Caterpillar, I found your food," America smiled happily, bending over and pulling a hand from his bouquet of flowers to reach for it. "I hope you've found England for me!"

"Hey!"

America immediately jumped in his spot, startled from the sudden yell. He stood as straight as a plank and froze, only to meet the sapphire eyes of a child older than him, but shared the same looks as he.

"Hi there!" the kid waved, smiling brightly. "Where are you from, little baby? You look a lot like me when I used to be little!" He extended a hand out. "May I please have my apple back?"

America blinked. This kid did look like him. Who was he? "Oh. This is your apple, mister?"

"No need to call me mister, I'm still little." The child grinned. "My name is America. It's nice to meet you!"

"Your name is America too?" the baby America asked, his head tilting. "That is my name also."

The child America's smile slightly faltered. "Your name is America? Hmm... That's really weird... I thought I was the only America here. In any case, it's nice to meet you, baby America!"

The baby nodded. "Is this your apple?"

"It is, yes. May I please have it back?"

The infant nodded again, kneeled over to pick up the fruit, and placed it into the open hand of the child. He took a few steps back. "Here you go," he said faintly, his voice slightly cracking.

"Thank you!" The boy smiled, only to frown to notice the little one's eyes well up with tears. "Hey there, why are you crying? Are you ok?"

The baby shook his head and hugged his blossoms tighter. "I was going to give the apple to Mr. Caterpillar. He was going to tell me where big brother England is at. I haven't seen him anywhere, and I want to go home. It's getting very cold, and I'm hungry."

Child America frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Have you looked everywhere?"

"I have," the other replied, sniffing. "I have looked behind the trees, in the flower beds, and all around. He is nowhere to be found. I think he might have gone home across the ocean again."

The kid laughed, but it was a sincerely happy laugh. "Don't be silly! He's still here! I'll take you to England!"

The toddler looked up, his eyes glistening with renewed hope and strength. "Really? You know where he is?"

"Yes! Follow me!" He reached down, took the baby's hand, and raced away. "We'll find him! Englaaaaaaand, where are you?"

Ten minutes had passed, and there was still no sign of the Englishman. The two boys made sure to check every corner of the forest and every possible hiding place, but the efforts were futile. The caterpillar, who baby America had returned to, was asleep, so the two Americas made sure not to disturb him from his slumber. They continued their search until the child America was out of breath. He panted and leaned tiredly against the closest tree, staring at the odd baby who recovered his breath while tying the stems of his flowers together with a blissful smile on his face.

"You're not tired, Baby America?" the kid sighed, trying to breathe through his nose.

"I am," the baby wheezed, tying the flowers into a necklace. "I'm just resting and putting the flowers together for England."

The boy smiled. "Oh, is it like a present for him? But necklaces are for girls, aren't they?"

"Maybe," Baby America giggled, his eyes sparkling. "But I'm sure he'll like it anyway. I've always made sure to pick his favorite flowers. He likes these white ones! See?"

Child America leaned in to examine the petals more clearly and grinned. "I can see why he likes them. They're very pretty. But he never told me he liked these flowers."

"He always has a vase full of them," the infant replied, setting the ring of blossoms on the grass and beginning to tie another one together. "That's how I know he really loves them."

"Do you know the flower type?" Child America tilted his head.

"They have a super long name, so I don't remember," Baby America answered, laughing. "They should end with "rose" though."

"I see…" the kid looked up at the sky, the blue hue fading into a slightly orange glow with the setting sun. "It's getting late. I think it is around 18:00 hours. We should go home soon. Maybe he's there."

"Maybe," the toddler sighed, lowering his head a bit and shaking his head sadly. "I don't know why he's not here. He said he was going to look for me. We were playing a game."

"Was it Hide-and-seek?"

"Yes," Baby America's head slightly nodded, his eyes still favoring looking at the blades of the grass. "He didn't find me. I was the one who ended up looking for him."

"England was going to take me to the city so we can buy some food," Child America grinned. "Guess he got as lost as I did."

"What were you going to buy?" Baby America asked, looking up to meet his gaze.

"Chicken," the kid laughed, but had paused and listened to hear music from a couple of yards away. It sounded a lot like someone was playing a harmonica. But no one knows how to play those… "Hey, Baby America, do you hear that? I hear music."

The baby listened for a while then nodded. "Yes, I hear it too. Someone is playing a harmonica."

"Want to go see who?" Child America grinned, offering a hand. "I want to see who is playing that, because it sounds super catchy."

Baby America pondered in thought for a minute, skeptical of the probability of missing England is he just so happens to pass by the area looking for him.

"Don't worry, we'll be in the area so we can him hear if he calls us, ok?" the kid took his hand, as if reading his mind, and skipped over to the source of the music. "Maybe this person knows where England is!"

Baby America's eyes, once again, shone with renewed hope, and another happy smile curved his lips. "Ok! Let's go!"

They trudge their way over to spot who was playing lovely tunes on the harmonica. They found a young man with sandy blond hair playing contently, not aware of what was around him at the moment. He was clad in a vibrant blue coat with two white belts strapped around his torso and shoulders, and with a white shirt and leggings. His brown boots were worn out from use, and even the once pearly trousers he wore were stained with what looked like dirt and dry blood. He had a thin build, but was still quite broad in the shoulders. His lips were pale, and both children noticed, that they had blended with his face, also at a loss of color.

He looked a lot like the two Americas, they realized. Could it be another America?

The man finally stopped playing, taking in a breath and pausing for a moment before he decided what song to play next. During the "intermission," both children chose that opportunity to clap for him. He blinked in shock of the sudden noise, becoming aware that he wasn't alone. When he caught sight of the kids, he let out a sigh of relief. They weren't there to kill him after all.

"I like that song, mister!" Child America laughed, his eyes glistening. "I really like it."

"Thank you," he replied a bit shyly, still wondering how the children could have snuck by without his noticing. "How long were you two standing there?"

"Just a minute," Baby America answered. "We were not here for very long."

The young lad nodded. "I see." He gave them both warm smiles. "Are you two brothers? You look very alike. In fact," he frowned for a moment, taking their looks in and considering a lot of thought before speaking again, "you both look a lot like me."

"We are alike," Child America answered. "My name is America, but you can call me Child America. This is Baby America." He motioned to the little toddler beside him, who peeled a hand away from his bouquet of flowers to wave politely.

The man paused. "Your names are both America? But my name is America too." He laughed heartily. "That is interesting. We all have the same name!"

"So what can we call you, Mr. America?" the child queried.

"You may call me… Teenage America, I suppose. I'm not really an adult yet," the older America smiled, putting his harmonica away. "What times are you two from? I don't remember how tall I was at what time, since it had been lots of decades ago."

The baby pointed to himself. "I have just been found by this very scary man," he admitted in a quiet voice. "He had pointy hair and was super scary. I don't think he liked me."

"I think you are talking about the Netherlands," Teenage America thought for a moment. "He is scary, yes, but he's very nice when you get to know him. He's helping me out with something important right now. You are from my very early colonial years then." He smiled at the child standing beside him. "And you? When are you from?"

"I am from before the Seven Year's War," he returned the expression. "I was told it is around the 1720s, or something like that."

"That was a long time ago, kid," the teen remarked, scratching the back of his head. "That's about 50 to 60 years before my time. I live in the very late 1770s. I think it is even 1780 today."

"But if it is really that late, would I be here?" Child America asked. "And would Baby America, who "existed" before we did, be here either?"

"You have a big point," Teenage America thought some more. "I don't understand what is going on. I don't think it is possible to have a run in with yourself… at least, I don't think so. It can't be magic."

"It can," Baby America nodded. "I believe in magic!"

"I do too," Child America nodded. "I acknowledge it exists too."

Teenage America shook his head. "I've never seen magic, so it doesn't exist. It's all science for me."

"Boring!" both children giggled, laughing harder at the older boy's insulted expression.

"In any case, what are you two doing here, wandering in this area?" Teenage America interrogated again, arching an eyebrow. "I don't know if you're aware of this, but this is a war zone."

"Is it? Are you at war?" Child America asked in return, looking a bit frightened. "Why?"

The teen sighed. "Long story…"

"We are looking for my—I mean, our big brother England," Baby America responded, nodding in satisfaction. "We haven't seen him, and we were wondering if you have."

"…. England? You mean Britain?" Teenage America blinked. "You are looking for Britain?"

"Who is Britain?" Child America queried, staring at him with a look of confusion and curiosity on his face.

"England, after he signed a pact with Scotland, became Great Britain," Teenage America answered with spite in his voice. He looked away and huffed frustratingly. "Britain can go jump off a cliff. I'm tired of him, and I'm gaining my independence from him. I'm really sick of his tyranny, and I want him to leave already."

Baby America flinched at the hateful words spewing from the adolescent's mouth, and his eyes once again filled with salt water. "B-but… England is nice, and he-he loves me… He loves America, no matter what…"

Child America tossed the teenage American clad in the uniform a dirty look. "That's not nice! England, or Britain, is very nice to us, like Baby America says! I don't know why you are being so mean to him, but he does love us!"

"Does he?" Teenage America folded his arms over his chest and arched an eyebrow. "He never listens to me when I ask him to lay off the petty taxes, and he over-accuses me of crimes he would regard his soldiers with leniently! He almost made me bankrupt for HIS OWN war debts from his fight with France, and he makes it so the only person I could trade with was him and him only! I don't think that's love, if you ask me."

The two boys were silent, and the teen believed they had understood him. He turned to eye Baby America, who finally spoke up with, "What does leniently mean?"

With that, the young man slapped his forehead and moaned a bit in exasperation, more towards having to explain than the children themselves. "It means without anger or scorn. He treats his soldiers better than me when it comes to crimes and stuff."

"I don't know a lot about your problems with Britain," Child America stood up taller, as if with authority, "but we need your help in finding England, from our time. You don't need to talk to him. We just need another pair of eyes to find him, that's all. Can you help us, please?"

Teenage America hesitated from answering for a few moments before mustering a smile for the both of them. "Ok, but just letting you know now, I'm not feeling very good, so if I stop to rest a lot please don't get mad."

Baby America nodded. "Ok! Please don't push yourself! Let's go!"

They searched around the new area of greenery for the Brit, only to have to pause several times to let the weak soldier catch his breath. Baby America checked the flower beds avidly for his brother, while Child America took to the tree branches to find him. Teenager America simply checked anything within his line of sight, and found the sun above him just a meter above the horizon.

"Hey, it's getting late," he finally said, leaning against a tree to regain his lost breath once again. "I think you two should wrap it up and go home."

"But Baby America said England was playing Hide-and-Seek with him. He should still be around here somewhere!" Child America protested, walking beside his older self and gazing at his pale face with confusion. "Are you feeling alright? You don't look too good."

Teenage America chuckled softly and plopped onto the floor with a long sigh. "I haven't had a proper meal or a bed in weeks. I'm tired, cold, sore, and starving." He laughed a bit nervously. "I'll be ok though. Thanks for asking."

Baby America sauntered over to Child America and leaned on his tip toes to ask him a question in his ear quiet enough so the adolescent America could not hear him. Child America nodded with a bright smile and took his apple from his pocket. "Good idea, little America!" He glanced back at the older America and handed him the fruit in his hands. "Here you are! If you're hungry, you can eat it!"

Teenage America was staring at the apple for a mere second before his eyes widened and glistened in bliss. He took the food like a divine relic and held it up in the sun's light with such delicacy it made the little boys giggle. His mouth watered and his stomach rumbled, anticipating the juicy and sweet taste of the apple. His lips curved in a full smile that reached his ears and he bowed repeatedly to the children. "Thank you! Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!" He hugged the apple to his cheek and almost laughed like a giddy child. "I am so grateful! Thank you!"

"It's just an apple! But you are welcome," Child America smiled happily, patting his shoulder. "You can eat it now. Sorry for making you follow along with us a lot."

"It's not a problem, you were just looking for your brother is all," Teenage America replied. He took a wide bite of apple and waited to swallow to add, "England means a lot to you now, and he did mean a lot to me back then too. So, it's only fair to the both of us if you return home safely with him."

"What would you do if you two made eye contact, if we do happen to find him?" Baby America asked, 'knitting' more flowers into necklaces from where he sat.

"Then I'd just leave," the teen answered with a small smile. "He shouldn't recognize me, since it would be your England, after all. He shouldn't know me." He looked at the apple for a moment, his smile growing sad. "It's a bit unnerving to see that I regard Britain with much more scorn than how I used to see him. I used to really care for him as much as you two… do, I guess." He bit into the apple again, immersed in the sweet taste of the fruit.

Child America thought for a moment. "People change over time, huh? So you are what America grows to be as an adult, or teenager, as you say you are?" He grinned. "I can't wait to see if there's another America older than you. I want to see how much we've grown."

Baby America nodded. "Maybe there is another one!"

Teenage America laughed. "That'd be cool, huh? I'm pretty sure there is one more. I'm not an adult, so there should be at least one more America, or whatever." He ate another bite of the apple and made sure to savor the taste before swallowing. "But our main focus is to find Brit—I mean, England. I don't want you two to go home alone."

"If worst comes to worst, I can escort him home," Child America offered, raising a hand.

Teenage America blinked. "Escort who home?"

"… Baby America…"

"Oh… yeah, I forgot."

"I'll be ok, I just want my big brother home too," Baby America frowned, placing his third flower necklace on the ground. "I'm super worried about him, because I'm ok." He gazed at his older selves with a small but happy smile. "I mean, I have my bigger selves to watch me. I am safe."

Teenage America nodded and ate another large bite of the fruit in his hands. "We'll take care of you. I'll stay here until you find him. I have nothing better to do anyway, and when I'm with you, maybe I can find another pantry or two to raid for food." He laughed heartily.

Child America took a seat a foot away from both Teenage America and Baby America and smiled. "Well, now that we're taking a break, Teenage America," he turned to him, "can you play us another song on your harmonica? I tried to learn the violin, but I didn't like it."

Teenage America grinned and set the core on a rock to dig into his uniform pocket for the tiny instrument. "Sure thing! Yeah, France and England tried teaching me, I mean, America, how to play the violin. Obviously that went nowhere. But I ended up teaching myself to play this instead."

"Play for us, please!" Baby America pleaded his smile widening. "Play that song we heard you play earlier!"

The adolescent brought the harmonica to his lips, inhaled deeply, and began to play the same tune he played earlier for the children. The first few minutes were unfamiliar to the younger Americas, but towards the end, they had finally recognized the melody, and they stood up and danced to the rhythm of the beat. They took each others' hands and danced in circles before breaking off and skipping around merrily. Teenage America smiled and refrained from laughing, since it would throw off the tempo of the song. The melody itself lasted a good ten minutes, and when he had finished, the younger boys were already tired from frolicking around. They were panting tiredly, but they still ran to the teenager and clapped.

"Bravo!" Child America cheered, giggling. "We like that song! What's it called?"

"I don't know, actually," Teenage America grinned. "I composed it myself."

Baby America's eyes widened in amazement. "Wow! That is so wonderful! Will you play it again sometime?"

"Sure!" Teenage America nodded, laughing bashfully.

"I remember that song! Way to play it, even though you're kind of flat on some notes!" A deeper but still energetic voice spoke, talking above the sound of loud clapping.

The three Americas turned around to face the applauding figure approaching them. They found a man taller than Teenage America trudging his way toward them. He had the same blue eyes and blond hair the other three had, but he was dressed much differently than any of them. He wore a large jacket that seemed two sizes too big, thin framed glasses, and a tan uniform more modern than Teenage America's. He was clapping his large gloved hands together in applause for the teen's music, and the three Americas glanced at him twice, and then again for one more cursory look.

He was definitely an "America." He was also much different than the three already here.

"Hey guys! What's up?" the man asked, waving to them.

Teenage America blinked, taking one look at the sky, and pointing up. "The sky is up, mister."

The older America laughed. "That's not what I mean, kid. It's my way of asking "how are you?""

"Oh." The three Americas exchanged confused glances, then smiled and laughed.

"We are good, thank you," Child America beamed, walking up to the man with a wide smile. "Is your name America, by any chance?"

The man stared at him miraculously with a cheeky grin. "Yup, how did you know?" He looked back at Baby and Teenage America and laughed. "Oh, I think I get it now! Are you all younger versions of me?"

"Yes, we are," Baby America commented, finishing his final flower necklace on the ground with the other three. "I am Baby America, from the early colonial time period."

"I am Child America from before the Seven Years' War," Child America smiled, pointing to himself. "It is nice to meet you."

"And I am Teenage America from the Revolutionary War," Teenage America introduced himself, offering to shake his hand.

The last America gladly took it with a wide grin. "Nice to "meet" you three. I guess you can call me Adult America. I'm not exactly an adult, but I don't think considering myself a kid will help with the distinguishing, is that right?"

The other three nodded, giggling.

"When are you from?" Teenage America asked, putting his harmonica away.

Adult America pointed to himself. "I'm from World War II."

"Why is it called World War II?" Child America queried, taking his seat.

"I participated in a world at war the second time," Adult America answered with a small frown. "Wasn't the best. In my opinion, it was much worse than the first."

Child America swallowed his saliva with difficulty, finding his throat tightening at the words his eldest self spoke. "Who were the bad guys and who were the good guys?"

Adult America pondered in thought before leaning against a tree. "Let's see… the bad guys are Germany, Italy, and Japan… and the good guys are me, of course, since I'm there hero and all… the UK, France, China, and…" he inhaled deeply and muttered coldly, "… Russia."

Teenage America bit his lower lip. "…. Just wondering, but… where is Britain in this conflict?"

The oldest America blinked and grinned widely. "Britain? He's the UK! The UK is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland! … Long name, I know, but hey, whatever floats his boat, right?" He laughed. "Great Britain, I'm sure you know, Teenage America, is a pact between England, Scotland, and Wales. Northern Ireland is, well, Northern Ireland. Nothing new there."

"I've never heard of these countries other than England and Scotland," Teenage America commented dryly. "Are they all England's comrades?"

"Brothers, Teen America," Adult America corrected him with a grin. "I know you're from the Revolution, kid, but believe it or not, Britain and I become the best allies, and eventually, the best of friends."

Teenage America frowned deeply upon hearing that. "… Really…"

\

Child America and Baby America, however, beamed at the thought and applauded. "Yay! We're still with England forever!" They took each other's hands and skipped around in circles, singing, "We're best friends with England, we're best friends with England~!"

Adult America laughed again and took a seat beside his adolescent counterpart. "Listen, I know you're still hating on Britain right now, but even after the war, you're still great trading partners with him, and he ends up turning to you for help in both World Wars. He's my best friend, but I don't tell him that."

Teenage America stared at him. "Well, why not? You didn't reconcile after the Revolution?"

"Not really, mainly because we had more conflicts that led to another war about forty years later after the Revolution and stuff," he smirked. "He's kind of an ass."

Teenage America rolled his eyes. "Tell me something I don't know."

"He still cares about you."

The teen glanced back at him. "Huh?"

Adult America nodded. "His King was just sick in the head, is all. Britain wasn't intentionally imposing those taxes on you. Even if he was, the government was jacked up and stuff. So even if he was on our side, he wouldn't have been able to do much about it." He sighed and ruffled his younger self's hair. "He doesn't really have Kings anymore, but yeah. When America does finally claim its independence from Britain in 1783, Britain, he said himself, was suffering from a broken heart for almost a century."

Teenage America's eyes widened. "… He… was? Did I cause him the heartbreak?"

"Who knows? He was drunk off his ass at the time," Adult America quipped. "But in any case, the United States and the United Kingdom become the best of friends. Even one of my presidents said, '_America has no truer friend than Great Britain._'" His smile widened, if it was even possible at this point.

Teenage America gazed down on the grass, a sad smile gracing his pale lips. "I see. You know, "the United States of America" has a nice ring to it after all. I didn't get it at first with the Declaration and all." He chuckled and brought his knees closer to his chest. "And, Adult America… thank you. I don't think I would have understood Britain if it wasn't for you." His smile shone brighter than the sun itself. "Now I have something to look forward to when the war is won."

"That's the spirit!" Adult America cheered, patting his back. "Now, it's getting kind of late! Baby and Child Americas! Front and Center!"

Both children, who had just about grown tired of skipping, sped in front of the eldest America and saluted to him almost simultaneously. "Yes sir!"

"So, boys, if you look above you, you can see that the sun had been setting for the past five minutes, right?" Adult America pointed up at the sky. "Well, it's no use in searching for Britain, or England, tonight. It'd be best to just wait for him at the-"

"H-hey, Adult America," Teenage America inched closer to his older self, sniffing the bomber jacket and salivating at a particular scent on it, "… why do you smell so good?"

Adult America stared at him for a moment before he grinned. "Oh, that's right. Food was scarce during the Revolution, huh? You must be starving." He dug into his bomber jacket pocket for a brown sack emanating that mouthwatering and delicious scent the teenager was so attracted to. "Want some?"

"Yes please," Teenage America almost pleaded, his belly rumbling again. The other two Americas walked by and smiled at the smell of the food in the sack.

"What's in there, Adult America," Child America asked, taking a whiff of the smell. "It smells really, really good!"

Baby America nodded in agreement, his mouth watering as well.

"It's McDonalds!" Adult America chimed, opening the bag and handing each of the smaller Americas something to eat. "Here's a Big Mac for Teenage America, French fries for Child America, and Chicken McNuggets for Baby America!" He grinned at them and watched them wolf everything down. "It was food on the go, so I'm not too hungry. 'Sides, I could always buy some more."

Teenage America licked his fingers clean, being the first to finish even though he had a larger portion of food than the other two. "Thank you, I am really grateful."

"Me too," Child America hummed, nibbling the last of his fries and licking the salt off his index finger. "It's super yummy. Thank you."

Baby America swallowed the last chicken nugget and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "Thank you Adult America!"

Adult America laughed and waved at them. "No problem! So, now that we're feeling a bit better, you want me to help you guys find England?"

"Yes please!" Baby America pleaded, and then stooped to gather his four flower necklaces to show them to the other three. "Here! I made these for you! They're England's favorite flowers, the something-rose!"

"Narcissus roses? Yup, England loves these. I really like these flowers too," Teenage America smiled, taking a necklace from the infant. "Thank you."

"These smell nice!" Child America brought the petals of the woven plants to his nose, taking in the fragrance and smiling widely. "Thank you, Baby America! Now, let's look for England before we run out of daylight!"

"It's already super late, though," Adult America frowned, his eyes glancing upward for the sky. "Let me see what I can do." He grinned, climbed up a very tall tree, and adjusted himself to sit on the strongest branch. He inhaled deeply and bellowed, "BRITAIN! ENGLAND, WHERE ARE YOU?" His voice traveled out into the horizon, causing many birds to fly from their homes, the ground to shake beneath the tree he was perched on, and the ears from his younger counterparts bellow him to throb in pain. He grinned cheekily at the wails and complaints coming from them at their pain, and dropped down to greet them again. "Sorry guys. That's my most effective way to find him."

"It may work," Teenage America mumbled, shaking his head. "That was more effective than anything we've tried. I just suggested a new area in the forest to look."

"We just ran in circles and asked bugs," Child America nodded, giggling.

The eldest America paused. "… You asked bugs?"

"Yes, we met a very nice Mr. Caterpillar," the infant America commented with a grin. "He's sleeping on a leaf over there."

Child America nodded. "We wanted to ask him if he knew where England was at, but he was already sleeping."

Teenage America smirked a bit and whispered in Adult America's ear. "You think he would know. Britain has eyebrows as thick as caterpillars!"

"I know, right?" Adult America quipped, and the two of them burst out laughing, receiving curious looks from the younger two. They exchanged amused facial expressions, still talking about more jokes they mutually found hilarious. Baby America and Child America also began to giggle, but since they didn't understand what the older pair of Americas found so funny, they seemed to be the awkward ones that stood out from the joke.

When they had finally stopped snickering, Baby America stood up straighter and cleared his throat, a sad smile on his face.

"Really, thank you all for taking the time to help me look for my brother," he said a bit quietly, but loud enough for his older counterparts to hear. "But I think I'll just head on home now. It's late, cold, and I think you need to go back to your old worlds now."

While no one immediately opposed the toddler's statement, none of them approved of it, as evidenced by the frowns they wore.

"I can stay behind and keep you company," Child America offered with a blissful smile. "I don't want you to stay alone in the big house by yourself. I got scared when England had to leave for Europe and I had to be here all by myself." He embraced his younger self. "I don't want you to be scared."

Teenage America stooped to his knees and ruffled Baby America's hair. "I'll stay here too. I don't want you to get hurt being out here by yourself. Anything could happen to you while Brit—I mean, England, is away."

"We'll stay by you the entire way, ok?" Adult America placed his hands on his hips, still smiling that winsome smile he was recognized for.

Baby America nodded, his bright face even rivaling the light of the sun. "Ok! Thank you so much!"

"America?"

All four Americas jumped where they stood, startled by the British accented voice that penetrated the once silent horizon around them. They turned behind them, and all of their mouths hung open at the sight that lay before them.

Britain was sauntering his way toward them, clad in a brown suit and dark brown tie. His messy blond hair flowed in the breeze of the night, his emerald eyes locked on what was in front of him. "America! I heard you calling me just now. What are you doing here outside by yourself? We need to go back now."

All four Americas exchanged happy glances at one another, very glad to see England, even Teenage America. They gave the Brit bright smiles and turned to look at one another.

"I'll race you," Child America challenged, preparing to sprint.

"You're on!" The other three accepted readily, all taking a dive for the man. The four of them raced their way over to him, and they were hot on each other's tails. Adult America somehow sped faster than the other three and outran them, not necessarily leaving them in the dust, but to the point where they were now in his blind spots.

"Britain! We found you!" he cried excitedly, leaping into the Brit's open arms and tumbling onto the grassy floor beneath them. He burst into a fit of laughter, listening to the curses and rants from the old fellow.

"America, you git! You ruined my suit!" Britain hollered, trying to wiggle his way out of the grown American's weight pinning him to the ground. "It's very expensive! Get off of me!"

"Good to see you too, Britain," Adult America grinned, finally sitting up and laughing. "How have you been?"

Britain stood on his feet and brushed off the cut grass blades from his coat. "I was doing well, actually; drinking tea until I heard your booming call for me from the forest. What were you doing out here anyway?"

"Hanging out with my younger selves, since they were busy looking for you when I found them… Oh yeah… Hey guys!" Adult America leaped onto his feet and turned around with a wide grin. "I win the race! I win the—huh?" His smile faded and his heart skipped a beat.

The other three Americas were gone. He glanced back at the open space where his younger counterparts last stood, his eyes wandering to every last spot where they were at, wondering where on earth they had faded to. Had they even existed at all, or was it all in his mind? But he interacted with them! They took his food, he received lei of flowers from his youngest counterpart, and he felt their touch, their hair (more specifically) when he ruffled it. Sure enough, he still wore the necklace woven with flowers around his neck. So why weren't they there?

"America, is something the matter?"

America turned back to see Britain with a small look of concern on his face before gazing back at the small clearing. "Huh? Oh no, it's nothing."

Britain frowned and placed his hands on his hips. "Obviously it's not nothing, if you're still silent and staring out into space like this." He stepped in front of the usually loud boy and looked him in the eye, trying to figure out what was going on in his head. "You are free to tell me anything, lad."

America simply stood there, glancing back at the Brit's eyes with a blank expression on his face. "Um, you'd think I ate a lot of cheeseburgers from McDonald's again." He smiled and chuckled a bit. "But I have something for you!" He maneuvered around the Englishman and swiped up the neglected leis of flowers on the floor that his younger selves were wearing. "I know how much you love Narcissus roses, so here! Baby—I mean, I made these for you!" He held up the three necklaces in his hands and flashed his friend the brightest smile he could muster.

Britain looked at the flowers in awe, and accepted them in a daze. He stared back at America with his eyes wide and his mouth open. "… Y-you… you made these for me?"

America nodded. Well, it wasn't completely a lie. His younger self made them, yes, but he was still America, right? "Do you like them?"

Britain gazed down to look at the flowers he accepted, and his face went slightly pink. "They are lovely, thank you." He glanced up from his focus on the roses to scan the night sky above them. "It's late. How about we go home and I'll make you some tea?"

The American shook his head with a laugh. "Coffee's good enough for me, thanks!"

"I don't have coffee, you idiot!"

"Hey, Britain…"

Britain paused for a moment. "Yes, America? What is it?"

America pondered in thought for a moment. He figured the three counterparts he met earlier were all the same by how their views on Britain changed over time. As a baby and as a child, America loved Britain with all his heart. He was dependent on him and always looked up to him. During his teen years, the time of the American Revolution, America wanted independence, not because he hated Britain, but because he wanted to have the older nation acknowledge him as an equal, not as his subordinate or brother. It was hard, but he did receive his freedom, though the conflicts did not necessarily end there. And here, during World War II, Britain and America are allies, supporting each other when Europe was on the brink of collapse. It was only fair if they had mutual support for each other, but friendship came much later, if the American remembered correctly.

But yes, his relationship with Britain has changed with each phase of his life. There were indeed more phases, but of course, it was all the same thing. They were inseparable now, and that was all that matters.

America laughed his trademark laugh. "Thanks for being in my life, Britain."

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Just a note:

According to Himaruya and what he wrote in one of his volumes he published, the Narcissus rose is the English national flower. That's why Baby America got as many as he could, though I don't think those flowers are common in America, if here at all... are they?

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If you guys find mistakes or would like to critique my story, reviews will be greatly appreciated. I'm not too proud of my ending, but I still hope you guys like it. Thanks again! 3 to all of my readers!


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